Can you claim Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit?

In these increasingly difficult times we are all trying to find ways of increasing our income in order to meet our living costs. Winchester Citizens Advice Bureau expert Denise Cox, offers some advice to help you identify whether you may be able to claim Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is a benefit paid to people over the age of 60. It has two parts: the Guarantee Credit part and the Savings Credit part. To be eligible for Guarantee Credit your income will have to be below a certain amount (currently £124.05 per week for a single person and £189.35 per week for a couple – this will rise in line with all state benefits on 6 April 2009). There is no savings limit; however, any savings over £6,000 will have an effect on the amount of Pension Credit you may receive.

To be eligible for Savings Credit you will need to be 65 and over and have only modest savings. Some people will be entitled to both parts and others just to one. For more details you can call the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234 or textphone 0800 169 0133, open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

Housing Benefit helps you pay your rent, while Council Tax Benefit helps reduce your council tax bill. You may be able to receive these if you are on Income Support, Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or have a fairly low income from work and, with the exception of certain people over the age 60, your capital is below £16,000.

To find out if you’re eligible for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit contact your local borough or district council. Alternatively, you can contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau (contact details can be found in your telephone directory) for a benefit check, or information and advice on any of the above. Information on a range of topics including all of the above can be found on the online advice guide.